THE SERIES II PF CABRIOLET

For many enthusiasts, the driver’s choice of Ferrari’s 250 GT range is the later, second-series variant built from 1960 and onwards. In both Cabriolet and Coupe form, these boast major improvements over earlier cars, namely in the form of their revised shock absorbers, better sound insulation, overdrive transmission, all-around disc brakes, and the new “outside-plug” Tipo 128 engine producing 232 horsepower.

In particular, the 250 GT Series II Cabriolet offers the best of both ends of the spectrum, with its striking, open coachwork enveloping more modern chassis components in a combination that today’s collectors can particularly enjoy on vintage touring events.

250 GT 3499

The 176th Series II Cabriolet of only 200 built, research from marque historian Marcel Massini documents that chassis 3499 was completed at Pininfarina on 20 June 1962 and clad in the elegant color combination of Midnight Grey (18933M) paint over an interior trimmed with Dark Beige leather (VM 846)—in which it still presents today.

Shortly thereafter, the car was delivered new to its first owner via Ferrari’s local Parisian distributor, Franco-Britannic Automobiles, and by 10 July it had received the Marseille registration “2984 BW 13.” Chassis 3499 remained in the care of its original owner until January 1971, when it was acquired by another enthusiast in Marseille then showing only 7,000 kilometers (~4,350 miles) since new. For the next 42 years, this 250 GT Cabriolet remained an immensely treasured prize of its second owner, and under his care it was only treated to infrequent, fair-weather drives. Never disassembled, restored, or even treated to a substantial regimen of deferred servicing, 3499 was put up in storage sometime after 1985.

In 2013, the consignor purchased 3499 from its long-term French owner in this highly original, though neglected state. After evaluating its condition, the car was submitted to the noted specialists at D.L. George Historic Motorcars in Cochranville, Pennsylvania for a comprehensive restoration with a particular focus on retaining, preserving, rebuilding, and reconditioning as much of 3499’s original componentry whenever—and wherever—possible, regardless of cost.

Invoices from D.L. George (on file) detail more than $274,000 spent in pursuit of this carefully considered goal, with notable expenditures taking place after the car’s partial disassembly including a full color-matched repaint in its factory-correct Midnight Grey. Every piece of 3499’s original trim was removed, repaired, and replated to as-new presentation. Even the undercarriage of its original Pininfarina body was media-blasted, repaired, and redone with proper undercoating where needed. A flawed drain plug design, which traps moisture within the front rocker panels, has plagued many an unrestored 250 GT example, and to remedy this 3499 was fitted with new metal in this area.

Much of 3499’s original Dark Beige Connolly leather has been reconditioned, though the seats were in such a state as to require an entire rebuild and fitment of newly made Dark Beige leather covers. The consignor states that samples of the original leather have been retained. Importantly, the car’s original fabric soft top was deemed to be in good condition, and so it was merely repaired where required and thoroughly detailed. Additionally, 3499’s French-market Marchal headlamps and Borrani chrome wire wheels were fastidiously restored and refitted.

Meanwhile, the car’s numbers-matching Tipo 128 engine was entirely rebuilt by Chuck Sim’s Cycles Immortal in Winterport, Maine, with components, parts, and additional expertise garnered in consultation with other Ferrari specialists, including GTO Engineering. The transmission’s intricate Laycock de Normanville overdrive module was similarly rebuilt by Vincor Transmissions of Jacksonville, Florida.

With 3499 already looking very much like a reawakened rendition of its former self, in late 2014 D.L. George handed off the small finishing duties to Sublime Restorations of South Hampton, New Hampshire, which they completed in late 2016. In 2017, the newly reborn 3499 successfully completed the Copperstate 1000 Road Rally without issue, and since then has been maintained with regular servicing by the consignor’s in-house team of talented mechanics. At time of cataloguing, 3499’s nicely preserved Veglia instrumentation indicated only 18,693 kilometers (~11,616 miles), which, on account of its provenance and known history, is presumed to represent the car’s true mileage since new.

Considered among the most elegant of Ferrari’s open-top tourers, the 250 GT Cabriolet Series II is equally enjoyed on long coastal roads as it is winding through hillside switchbacks. Benefitting from a known history since new, and a comprehensive restoration of exceedingly high quality, 3499 is a remarkably fine—though certainly not “over-restored”— example of this especially sough-after model.